Delayed Mail – Did PMG DeJoy Start This Problem? Answer: No

PEN Editorial – 3/29/21 – Is mail being delayed purposely across our nation? No, not unless some USPS managers have decided to do this on their own (for whatever reason) without instruction from PMG DeJoy to do so. Is there an existing problem with mail being delayed? Yes, most certainly.

Why is there a problem with delayed mail across our nation if not because of PMG DeJoy? Just like almost every other business the existence of this pandemic has caused a multitude of problems – from staffing to distribution and many other problems brought on by COVID. However, USPS is greatly different from most businesses in regards to pandemic problems. Since this pandemic started the public has chosen to stay out of harms way as much as possible and one major way this has been accomplished is by shopping from home over the Internet.

It is a fact that we’re ordering most of our products, gifts, etc. from the Internet and having these products delivered to our homes or businesses. This online frenzy has taken USPS by surprise in that the postal service is not set up as a major parcel delivery service (such as UPS or FedEx) – in fact, USPS exists as a letter ‘and’ parcel distribution service…including magazines and similar mail.

USPS letter carriers across the nation have seen their parcel loads increase by leaps and bounds since the pandemic started in late 2019 and early 2020…just ask your letter carrier. Carriers are expected to deliver not only our letter mail, but also our packages. The extra burden, both in delivery and distribution, forced upon postal employees and USPS has brought on unintended consequences such as delayed mail.

PMG DeJoy became Postmaster General in May of 2020 – the pandemic became official on or about January 2020. With this pandemic came USPS staffing shortages due to employees becoming quarantined or personally ill with the coronavirus – this problem continues to this day. We pray that will end soon. How could PMG DeJoy be the source of the mail delays caused by this pandemic? He cannot. His job is to manage USPS as efficiently and cost effectively as possible and we believe he is attempting to do that. There are those, in the media and political arena, that detest the fact that PMG DeJoy was appointed by what they believe was their worst enemy – President Trump. And, they want him, DeJoy, out as fast as possible. Stupid move in our opinion.

Delayed mail did NOT just start after DeJoy was appointed Postmaster General – delayed mail started years ago and has gotten progressively worse since COVID came to be. Don’t believe this? Well, check the number of documents written and released to the public under the direction of the USPS Office of Inspector General – do it now…HERE – or, perform your own search for delayed mail here.

Delayed mail started years ago and the vast majority of these delays were not because of USPS employees…it was because of former PMG’s inadequacy , problems from the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA), inability by USPS to afford to hire an adequate number of employees, and other reasons that had nothing at all to do with PMG DeJoy or President Trump – in fact, they inherited this problem and COVID drove it home.

In summary – yes, we have a problem with delayed mail, but PMG DeJoy is not entirely at fault here…he came into office with this problem already deeply rooted. Yes, he may have cut or attempted to cut the use of overtime…but, isn’t that what he is supposed to do? Yes, it is. Does it make many people angry? Yes, by all means. Some have even said that maybe the U.S. Postal Service should revert backwards and become the U.S. Post Office again. No, that would not solve the problem at all.

The delays nationwide will not stop if USPS does not somehow get a handle on the problems associated with this national pandemic. In our opinion USPS has became a major parcel delivery service over the past few years and this fact has caused numerous delivery, transportation, and distribution problems that must be addressed. What you’re reading in the mass media and by many politicians does not provide you with all of the facts…only their hate for PMG DeJoy.

That’s the way we see it.

Rick Owens
Postal Employee Network